High Point Construction Begins
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High Point Construction Begins
By Shane Gilreath
SCN Contributing Editor
[email protected]
After being closed for two years, construction began last week on the Niggs Creek Road overpass at High Point, with heavy equipment and a large crane clearly visible from the highway as crews prepared the site for work. The bridge, which crosses the Norfolk Southern Railroad line, has remained closed since the spring of 2024, after it was condemned by the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT). The once aging overpass originally built nearly a century ago, and heavily repaired in the 1970s following train-related damage, had become a growing concern for county officials and residents alike.
As previously reported by SCN, the replacement bridge is expected to remain similar in scale to the historic structure but allowing for modifications in height and width to meet modern Norfolk Southern and Federal Highway Administration standards. The funding for the project was secured through TDOT using revenue from the Improve Act of 2017, with Senator Ken Yager and Representative Kelly Keisling have both been credited for advocating roadway improvements throughout Scott County. In February 2025, as then reported by SCN, a petition requesting the support of state legislators sprang from a Chamber of Commerce resolution, formally requesting that roadways become a primary focus. Yager addressed the issue during a 2025 visit to Oneida, which included support for the recently begun work on Highway 27.
The Chamber petition cited that the improvement of road conditions is in the best interest of Scott County, as well as Scott County’s growing tourism industry. Progress on this particular project, however, had been initially slowed due to the extensive approval process from Norfolk Southern.
Cookeville-based King General Contracting is overseeing the estimated $1.9 million project.
